Super cute and relaxing way to spend an afternoon! You can easily do the whole space in a few hours…read more-- I was particularly infatuated by some of the native clothing. They have an interactive space on the top floor, and beautiful murals in the stairwells. The museum sponsors pop ups and is worth a follow on socials to keep up with that fun schedule. There is a bar space in the basement that has happy hour from 2-5 every day. Their martini espressos are top notch, and do not get me started on their giant chocolate chip cookies. Wow! In fact, I went back to the counter to get one for the road -- they were out! But before I left, the barista ran to catch me and nabbed me a piping hot cookie straight out the oven. Worth it!

Gorgeous piece of Kansas City history in the NE area along Gladstone Blvd built in1910, was built…read moreby lumber baron and civic leader Robert A. Long as his private family estate, with the four-story historic Beaux-Arts style mansion named Corinthia. Each room is a mini museum of KC history, very informative Theres a gift shop and a food and beverage shop called Elixir DOA Fountain with snacks, alcoholic beverages, coffee and other beverage choices. We had the Aperol Spritz- Aperol La Marca prosecco splash of soda and slice of orange. Very tasty Best part this is a FREE museum.

A treasure addressing the highlights and not shying away from the ugliness of the time. It's…read moreslightly interactive (the opening film is so worth it, shown at 15 and 45 after the hour every hour) so it's a lot of standing and reading but the timelines of the Negro Leagues and the eventual integration of MLB are really well done. The field of bronze statues are amazing and very well done. There's a LOT of memorabilia and the locker section with almost all of the original uniforms is amazing as well. Probably my favorite medium-sized museum in the country. It's a bargain for the price and there's a ... reverence, I think ... to understanding the pioneers like Jackie Robinson and the sheer grace with which they handled themselves.

I visited the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum during my trip to Kansas City and was absolutely amazed…read moreby it. The museum provides a wonderful, interactive way to learn about the history of baseball in the early 1900s. It expertly walks you through the nuances of how the league was formed, how it competed with the Major Leagues, and the profound role it played in the larger scheme of American civil rights and social history. The exhibits are incredibly engaging and fun--I especially loved the mock baseball field featuring life-sized statues of the legendary players. It brings the history to life in such a powerful way. This is an absolute must-visit in Kansas City!

Wow, such a fun experience. These 2 "characters", Benny "The Bull" and I never caught the main…read moreguide's name were just dialed in! They had that presentation memorized down to the second. Even with unknowns like getting stuck in traffic and stop lights they managed to keep everything flowing. If any family members or friends come into town, I'll gladly recommend this tour over and over again

We really enjoyed this tour! The actors play off each other with corny jokes and accents, it's so…read morefun! The tour was about 90 min, kind of educational, more interesting to us as we like to learn and read about the gangster eras. It's on a short bus, I wouldn't go with a large group, it's two by two seats and one long seat in the back for about 4-5 people. You can't always see out the window but they describe what happened at that area. It's something different and fun to do, worth the $30 something we spent.

So glad we came here!! What a great learning experience…read more Staff is super sweet and helpful. Museum is small but has tons of exhibits and it is well organized and decorated with a lot of interactive displays. Getting a glimpse of Ella Fitzgerald dress was one of many highlights for me. I had no idea how influential and historical Kansas City was to jazz music. I got to see the famous BLUE ROOM, we did not get a chance to have dinner or hear live music but you can if you schedule yourself accordingly. Parking is easy and free tickets are super cheap and they honor military discounts

I was expecting more from this museum…read more The museum is really small, and the few rooms are pretty sparse. There aren't many artifacts to look at. One pro is that the museum is very interactive. There's a lot of spots where you can play different jazz pieces and read about them. There's an interesting section that teaches you about rhythm, harmony, and mixing. Otherwise, the museum just has some basic facts about a handful of popular jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Not much interesting to read or look at. There is a nice introductory video with a little history of jazz, but I left feeling like I still know nothing about the local jazz history of Kansas City! Admission is only $10 for adults. You can buy tickets online or at the gift shop. At least the museum isn't expensive! If you're already going to the baseball museum, you might consider checking out the jazz museum as well. You can still access the museum entrance even with the current construction/closure on 18th street (Aug 2025). There's also an entrance in the back that connects to the parking lot. There's a parking map on the baseball museum website that is super helpful. Both museums are in the same building but require different admission tickets.

I can appreciate the idea behind the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center but it is a little…read morelackluster. I would love to see this place as a thriving center in the community. The exhibits and resource library are sparse. Plan to spend about 30 mins at the location, unless you decide to read a book at the center. Exhibits consist of art created by black, Kansas City artists. I enjoyed seeing what is produced by some of the professors at local universities and other artists residing in Kansas City. Collections of works from around five primary arts are on display at the moment, though they change regularly. Many artist bios were taped up on printer paper which felt a little sloppy, even for temporary installations. Other exhibits, like the one on the 92th infantry, included screenshots from Wikipedia-- again, sloppy. There is a decent amount of organized information on Bruce R. Watkins, his life, and career, which is a positive for exhibits displayed. The resource library claims to have over 250 books and magazines on black history. I wonder how this compares to the Black Archives of Mid-America, also located in Kansas City. From the works of the library, I wonder when they add new materials because everything seemed relatively dated. The executive director, Emiel Cleaver, and the security guard, Carl, we're kind. I wish I would have asked Mr. Cleaver about the direction/aspirations for the center. I assume it stays open because people rent the location to host events. Overall, I think the center is still getting back on its feet after COVID. I will give them grace for this. I hope they are able to build more partnerships with the community and display a larger range of exhibits.

The Center is named in honor of Bruce R. Watkins, a political and social activist. Watkins was…read morefueled by the need to recognize and preserve the varied contributions African-Americans made to the development of Kansas City. The center opened in December 1989 as the outgrowth of Watkins' efforts.

One of the absolute greatest treasures of Kansas City…read more The 18th & Vine district is the renovated quarters of a part of the city that was once one of the greatest meeting points in regards to the Jazz music genre. The 18th and Vine District is also the home to one of the most underrated museums in the entire country, The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Coming into this area, one gets the opportunity to reflect on the achievements of many Jazz & Baseball legends such as Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Lester Young, George and Julia Lee, Satchel Paige, James "Cool Papa" Bell, and Josh Gibson. This place signifies everything that has changed in this country over the last 80 years. If you are visiting KC, take the time to spend a few hours absorbing some great history.

I had no idea this museum existed until recently. This small complex contains the jail, marshall's…read morehome, an old one room schoolhouse and a modern building containing historical artifacts related to the jail and the Independence area in general. Priced at $6 for admission, it is well worth a visit. The 2 story stone jail presents a bare-bones authenticity of what crime and punishment meant during the civil war era and late 19th century. Placards featuring a variety of prisoners tell their stories as you wander through the thick walled cells. The focal point of the museum is Frank James cell that he spent several months "locked up" in. Quite an elaborate set-up compared to the others. Any history lover will find this place a great way to spend an hour. I'd love to see this place promoted more in Kansas City tourism information.

This is one of my top fave outdoor venues. Not a bad seat, roomy and always cute vendors and…read moreoptions for food and drink. If you're a donor, the lounge has free food and drink before the show. I love their Broadway series and the staff is so friendly. Beautiful venue. The construction for 71 makes you the long way back to the Ks side.

Their handling of severe weather is ridiculous. I'm not talking rain but tornado watch, hail and…read morethunderstorms with all other venues cancelling they wait until 45 minutes to decide. Rain or shine does not mean bodily harm with no option for refund. Then they say we can move but "seats are filling up" when they didn't advertise they were offering moves. FIFA fan fest cancelled, Shawnee Theater in the park cancelled and the lady on the phone has the nerve to cut me off when asking questions? Understand when you buy you will have to endure tornadoes, 70mph winds and hail before a refund.